Target-game apparatus.



G. A. RICHMOND.

- TARGET GAME APPARATUS;

APPLIGAIION FILED 213.21. 1911. 1 80,301.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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C. A. RICHMOND.

TARGET GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED FEB.21, 1911.

Patented Dec.2,1913.

4 SHEBTSSHEET 3.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 50.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

G. A. RICHMOND. TARGET GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.21, 1911.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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CARL A.- RICHMOND, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TARGET-GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

Application filed February 21, 1911. Serial N 0. 609,869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL A. RICHMOND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Target-Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The principal objects of my invention are to devise a novel game and to provide apparatus by which it may be played.

Another object of my invention is to devise a game in which an end to be attained by a player or players shall become more easy of attainment as time progresses, thus tempting the player or players to delay making an effort toward attaining the end referred to.

Another object of my invention is to devise a game in which, as time progresses, an end to be attained shall become more easy of attainment in one respect, but more difficult of attainment in another respect, thus forcing each player to choose between conflicting motives in selecting a time to make his effort.

Another object of my invention is to provide a game in which the best time for a player to act shall be dependent on the time (unknown to him) when his competitor is planning to act.

These objects will be more readily appreciated after considering certain specific embodiments of my invention, which are described in the following specification; other objects and advantages of a game or games according to my invention will then also be readily perceived and appreciated.

The invention of this application is a variety of that claim in my earlier application, Serial No. 558,566, filed April 80, 1910, for an improvement in games. The earlier application has generic claims. The devices specifically disclosed herein are similar in some respects to one device disclosed in said earlier application.

In the accompanying drawings I show two specific embodiments of my invention for the purpose of clearly illustrating and explaining the general principles involved.

Figure 1 is a general perspective view. Fig. 2 is a sectional viewof a detail. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation. Fig. 4 is a top plan him of all chance to shoot.

view. Fig. 5 is a side elevation. Figs. 6 and 7 are vertical sections on the lines respectively designated at 6 and 7 in Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an alternative form in which my invention may be embodied. Fig. 9 is a front elevation. Fig. 10 is a side elevation. Fig. 11 is a vertical section. Fig. 12 is an elevation of a projectile.

Stated briefly, and in a general way, the device illustrated by Figs. 1 to 7 comprises a plurality of targets 20 in front of which is a shield 28; mechanism is provided to slowly lower this shield 23 and thus gradually expose the targets 20, which are so arranged that when one is struck by a projectile it rocks back and down about 180 while the others rock back about 90. Competitive players are allotted respective targets and thus when any one player shoots and hits his target, he deprives the others of all chance to shoot. Each player is subjected to two conflicting motives; he would like to wait until his target is extensively exposed so as to aflord an easy mark, but he fears to wait because meanwhile a competitor may shoot successfully ahead of him and deprive The base 15 supports the two standards 16 which are joined across the top by the plate 17, the

upper edge 18 of which is inclined backwardly. The transverse bar 19 has its ends supported by the upper ends of the standards 16 and the targets 20 are pivoted thereon by the ears or lugs 21. There are spacing rings 22 on the bar 19 between the targets 20. When set as in the drawings, the targets 20 rest against the top edge 18 of the frame member 1718.

of the frame member 17, and its upper part is bent back as at 24 and then forward as a lip 25. Attached to the shield 23 is a downward extending foot 26 with a toe 27 that projects back between the two parallel spaced standards 31. The lateral edges of the shield 23 are engaged by the fixed guides 28 and a central rib 29 on the shield 28 is engaged by a fixed guide 30. A metal plate 32 has its upper and lower ends 33 and 34:, respectively, bent forward between the standards 31; this plate may be termed a carrier. The forward ends have laterally The vertically sliding shield 23 is mounted in front projecting lugs 33 and 34 that engage the front edges of the standards 31, thus restricting the carrier 32 to a vertical movement in the uide standards 31. The carrier 32 has a weight 35. The lower end of the foot 26 carried by the shield 23 has a bracket 37 which is engaged by the lower end of the piston rod 36. This bracket 37 has a notch engaging the guide rib 38 mounted on one of the standards 31. The hollow cylinder 40 has its upper end secured to the cylinder head 39 which is bracketed on one of the standards 31. \Vithin the cylinder 40 is the cup-shaped leather piston 41 attached to the upper end of the piston rod 36. This leather piston 41 is so arranged as to leak air when ascending, but hold tight when descending. A small air port in the cylinder head 39 is controlled by the needle valve 42 with the lock-nut 43. The standards 31 carry a pulley 44 near their base and the rope 45 passes under this pulley 44, thence up through holes in the toe 27, and in the parts 33 and 34 of the carrier 32, thence the rope 45 passes up and back over the pulley 46 mounted loosely on the bar 19 between the two middle targets 20. This bar 19 is supported adjacent to the pulley 46 by a bracket 62 mounted on the back face of the frame member 17. Adjacent to the pulley 46 on the other side from the bracket 62 is a washer 63. The pulley 46 has a hole through its flange with a screw 48 adjacent thereto and the rope 45 has aloop or bight 47 extending through the hole and clamped by the screw 48. After passing back over the pulley 46 the rope 45 goes in front of the roller 49, which is journaled in the upper ends of the standards 31; thence the rope 45 extends under the staple 50 on top of the carrier 32, and its end is clamped to the carrier 32 by the screw 51. The bail 52 has its arms 53 pivoted on the bar 19 near the ends thereof. Another bail 55 has its arms 55 pivoted on the bar 56 at the base of the machine. A link 57 connects the two bails 52 and 55. A third bail 58 has its arms 59 also pivoted on the bar 19 near its ends. These arms 59 are prolonged past the bar 19, the extended portions being designated 60 (see Fig. 5). Each extension 60 carries a ledge 61, and when the parts have the positions shown in the drawings, the arms 53 of the bail 52 rests upon these ledges 61. The dog 64 (see Fig. 6) pivoted on the standard 31 is adapted to catch under a corner of the toe 27 and thus hold up the shield 23. The carrier 32 has a bracket 66 on which is pivoted a pawl 67 adapted to engage the lug on the dog 64 and thereby trip the latter. The pulley wheel 46 carries a radially projecting stud 68 adapted when the wheel is rotated counter-clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 7, to engage the bail 52 and carry the same therewith. Inside the shield foot 26 is a spaced shell 69 forming a pocket to contain lead shot 7 0.

As shown inv full lines in the drawings, except Fig. 1, the apparatus is set ready for use. Two, three, or four players stand with rifles off to the left of the machine as viewed in Fig. 5, each one facing a respective letter A, B &c., on the shield 23. Then they are ready, one of them gives a short pull on the rope 45. This raises the carrier 32 a trifle (see Fig. 7 and rotates the wheel 46 a trifle, but not far enough for the stud 68 to engage the bail 52. The raising of the carrier 32 causes the pawl 67 to trip the dog 6465; thereupon the shield 23 begins to descend by gravity. In its descent it pulls down the piston 41, drawing in air through the restricted port in the cylinder head 39. By adjusting the valve 42 the speed of descent of the shield 23 may be made as slow as desired. Fig. 1 shows the shield 23 part way down and the same is shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 6. Assume that the player C shoots at the target C and misses, then the player B shoots and hits his target B this knocks it back to the dotted line position 20 in 'Fig. 6 where it strikes the bail 52 and throws it down. The descent of the bail 52 first pulls the bail 55 forward by means of the connecting link 57, and second throws the bail 58 back by means of the arms 53 resting on the ledges 61. The backward rotation of the bail 58 throws back the three remaining targets 20 (A, C and D) until they strike the bail 55 which stops them, the first target (B) going on till it comes to rest hanging down vertically from the bar 19 with the bail 52 in front of it. In this position the point of the target B shows from the front under the shield 23 and frame member 17 and identifies the successful shot. The two remaining players A and D are deprived of all chance to shoot by Bs successful shot. If all the players but one sheet unsuccessfully, then he may wait until the targets are fully exposed by the descent of the shield 23, before he shoots. To reset the apparatus one of the players gives a long pull on the rope 45. This causes the pulley wheel 46 to rotate counter-clockwise about two hundred ten degrees, as .viewed in Figs. 6 and 7, whereby the stud. 68 carries the bail 52, and the bail 52 in turn carries all the targets 20 up until they rest against the top edge of the frame member 1718, and the targets 20 in turn-carry the bail 58 ahead of them to the position shown in the drawings. The same movement of the rope 45 raises the carrier 32 and causes the lower portion 34 thereof to raise the toe 27 until it is caught and upheld by the dog 64. When the pull on the rope 45is relaxed the weight 35 causes the carrier 32 to descend and the pawl 67 drops under the lug in readiness to trip the dog 64. At the same time the pulley wheel 46, rotates clockwise, the bail 52 following the stud 68 until the arms 53 of the bail 52 come to rest on the ledges 61 that are connected with the bail 58. The further rotation clockwise of the pulley wheel 46 simply carries the stud 68 on the position shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Then the device is set ready for another play.

Referring to the modification of Figs. 8 to. 12; this comprises a single target 89 with a vertically sliding shield 87. The projectiles employed are darts, shown in Fig. 12, that stick in the target 89 and thus identify the successful shot. are joined below by the base-piece 81 and the braces 82. 83 is a folding leaf shown extendedto form a base, supportingthe standards 80 by means of'the jointed braces 84. Across the top the standards 80 are connected by the cross-member 85. The inner faces of the standards 80 are grooved as at 86 and the shield 87 slides vertically in these grooves as guides. On the back side the cross piece 88 is attached to the standards 80 and the target 89 is pivotally attached thereto by the hinges 90.- A piston rod 91 has its upper end attached to the cross member 85 and its lower end carrles a piston w1th1n the cylinder 93, which depends from the lower edge of the shield 87; A groove 92 in the back face of the shield 87 makes'room for the rod 91. The piston within the cylinder 93 is a leather cup turned up so as to hold tight is an air inlet valve 94 and lock nut 95. catch 96 is pivoted on the bar 88; this 1s adapted to engage the stud 104 on the lower edge of the shield 87 and hold it up. The

tension spring 97 holds thecatch in locking position. catch 96 and passes under the base pulley-99 and forward; a pull on the cord 98 will disengage the catch 96 and permit the shield 87 to drop. A back-stop 100 for wild shots is provided; This has a triangular opening 101 adapted to catch the point of the target 89 and support the same in the dotted line position 89. Four parallel links 102 and the two hooks 103 hold the back-stop 100 in proper relation to the main frame. The projectile employed is a pointed dart 105 having a bunch of fine bristles 106 for a tail. These bristles are variously colored for the difierent players of the game. The darts may be projected by air guns. The apparatus is set ready for use when the target 89 is up leaning against the frame member 85, andwhen theshield 87- is up, supported by the catch 96 engaging the stud 104; The

The two standards 80 to make a shot. when the cylinder is descending, but leak air 1 ascending. At thebot-tom of the cylinder 93 i The cord 98- is attached to the,

yers stand side by side facing the shield 87. When they are ready one of them pulls the cord 98 thus tripping the catch 96; thereupon the shield descends by gravity retarded by the descending cylinder 93 drawing in air through the restricted air inlet at the valve 94. The piston within the descending cylinder 98 obviously remains stationary. \Vhen they deem it best the players shoot at the target 89 which is gradually becoming more and more exposed by the 7 descent of the shield 87. The first successful shot knocks the shield 89 back till it rests in the hole 101 in the back-stop 100. The successful player may be readily identified by the color of the dart sticking ;1n the back-turned target 89. Then one of the players resets the target to vertical position, collects the darts that have been shot,

and raises the shield 87 till the catch 96 en gages the stud 104; this puts the device in readiness for anotherplay. l/Vhen desired to put the device in compact form for packing away, the base leaf 83 may be turned up the hooks 103 disengaged, the back istop 100 swung down so as to lie close 90 against the standards 80 just below the crosspiece 88, and the target 89 turned back 180 to lie behind the back stop 100. Each player :with the device of Figs. 8 to 12 is subject to jtwo conflicting motives; he desires to wait i'till the shield 87 is way down so as to give a largely exposed target 89, but he fears to wait else meanwhile a competitor will shoot successfully and deprive him of all chance I claim:

1. In a game device, a plurality of targets,

means to gradually increase the extent of their exposure, and means to displace all the targets when one is struck.

2. In a game, a plurality of targets, means .to gradually increase the extent of their exposure, means to displace all the targets whenone is struck, and means to indicate which target is struck.

3. In a game device, a plurality of targets, a shield-in front thereof, means to gradually expose the targets from behind the shield, and means to throw all the targetsbehind the shield when one is struck.

4. In a game device, a plurality of targets, ashield in front thereof, means to gradually expose the targets from behind the shield, means to throw all the targets behind the shield when one is struck, and means to in dicate which target is struck.

5. In a game device, a target, a shield in front of the target, means to gradually expose the target from behind the shield, and means to throw the target behind the shield when it is struck.

6. In a game device, a target, a shield in front of the target, means to displace the shield from in front of the target, and a dash-pot to retard the shield.

7 I11 a game device, a plurality of targets, means to throw all the targets down when one is struck, and means to indicate which target is struck.

8. In a game device, a plurality of targets pivotally mounted side by side, a shield in front of said targets,and means to gradually displace the shield from in front of the targets.

9. In a game device, a plurality of targets each mounted so as to be displaced when struck by a projectile, means actuated by the displacement of one target to displace the others, and means to distinguish which is the initial target to be displaced and which are the targets displaced thereby.

10. In a game device, a plurality of targets, each target being adapted to be displaced by being struck by a projectile, and means for the displacement of one target to cause the displacement of the remaining targets to a different extent from said one target.

11. In a game device, a plurality of targets, a shield in front thereof, means to gradually displace the shield and thus expose the targets, and means to throw all the targets behind the shield when one is struck and to throw that one target to a different final position from the others.

12. In a game device, a plurality of pivotally mounted targets, means to displace a target approximately 180 degrees when it is struck by a projectile, and means to immediately thereupon displace the remaining targets approximately 90 degrees.

13. In a game device, a set of targets, a displaceable shield in front thereof, means to set the targets, and means to gradually displace the shield from before said targets.

14:. In a game device, a target, a displaceable shield in front thereof, means adapted to simultaneously set the target and position the shield in front thereof, and means to trip the shield whereby it may be displaced from in front of the target.

15. In a game device, a target adapted to be hit by a projectile delivered from one of several players, means to identify a player whose projectile hits the target, and means to prevent the projectiles of other players from thereafter hitting the target.

16. In a game device, a pivoted target, a shield in front of the target, and means to gradually lower the shield to expose the target, said target being mounted to be displaced when it is hit by a projectile.

17. In a game device, a frame, a target pivoted thereon about a transverse axis, the

extremity of the target being pointed, a shield in front of the target, and means to gradually displace the shield and expose the target.

18. In a game device, a plurality of targets pivotally mounted on a bar, a bail pivoted on the same bar adapted to set said targets simultaneously, and yielding means to support said bail in an intermediate position. I i

19. In a game device, a plurality of targets pivotally mounted on a bar, a bail pivoted on the same bar adapted to set said targets simultaneously, and another bail connected by a link to said first named bail and adapted in one position to intercept the falling targets and in another position to be cleared by them.

20. In a game device, a plurality of targets pivotally mounted on a bar, a bail pivoted on the same bar adapted to set said targets simultaneously, another bail connected by a link to said first named bail and adapted in one position to intercept the falling targets and in another position to be cleared by them, and a third bail adapted to be engaged by the first bail and throwing all the targets when one of them is thrown.

21. In a game device, a plurality of targets, a bail for setting said targets simultaneously, a pulley with a lug to engage said bail, and a pull rope attached to said pulley.

22. In a game device, a plurality of targets, a bail for setting said targets simultaneously, a pulley with a lug to engage said bail, a pull rope attached to said pulley, a displaceable shield in front of the targets, a carrier to raise said shield, and an operating connection from said pulley to said carrier.

23. In a game device, a plurality of targets, a displaceable shield in front thereof, a carrier to engage said shield, a dog to engage the shield, and a pawl mounted on the carrier to trip the dog.

24. In a game device, a plurality of displaceable targets, a displaceable shield in front thereof, means to set the targets and the shield simultaneously, and means comprising in part the same elements to thereafter trip the shield and permit its displacement.

25. In a game device, a target, a displaceable shield in front of the target, a catch to hold the shield in position to conceal the target, and a rope extending from the catch and adapted to disengage the same to release the shield. V

26. In a game device, a target, a frame on which the target is pivotally mounted, a stop against which the target may rest in an upstanding position, and another stop to arrest the target When it is thrown back from this position.

27. In a game device, a target adapted to be hit by a projectile delivered from one 5 of several players, means to register With the target an identification of a player making a successful shot against the target, and means to prevent registration of subsequent shots. 10 28. In a game device, a target, a displaceable shield in front thereof, and means to gradually displace the shield from before said target.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

CARL A. RICHMOND.

Witnesses:

FLORENCE A. FLoRELL, HENRY A. PARKS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

